8.4 Prema-Kanta - Gopi Love cannot be rewarded

kṛṣṇera pratijñā dṛḍha sarva-kāle āche
ye yaiche bhaje, kṛṣṇa tāre bhaje taiche (CC 2.8.90)

Krișna's steadfast promise forever is that - pratijñā dṛḍha kṛṣṇera sarva-kāle āche
as a person worships (Him)- yaiche ye bhaje
also Krișna rewards this one. - taiche kṛṣṇa bhaje tāre

Tika: The point is that the very state, or relationship that the devotee desires in relation to Krișna, is the state or relationship in which Krișna connects with him.
This is confirmed by Krișna in Bhagavad-gita 4.11, which is further quoted by Rāmānanda Rāya.

ye yatha mam mam prapadyante tams tathaiva bhajamy aham
mama vartmanuvartante manushyah partha sarvasah (CC 2.8.91)

Just as a person worships me - yatha ye mam mam prapadyante
surely I also worship this one. - eva tatha aham bhajami tan
O son of Partha, all people - partha sarvasah manushyah
follow My (prefigured) ways. - anuvartante vartma mama

ei 'preme'ra anurūpa nā pāre bhajite
ataeva 'ṛṇī' haya - kahe bhāgavate (CC 2.8.92)

Bhagavat (Puran) says that - bhāgavate kahe
(the Transcendental Lord) is not able to worship (reward) to the same extent -nā pāre bhajite
that love (the erotic love of the gopis). - ei premera
Therefore (He) is indebted (to the gopīs) - ataeva haya haya ṛṇī

Tika: In other words it might be that the love of the gopis for Krișna should be greater than Krișna's love for them, so Krișna feels indebted to them. This feeling of Krișna towards the gopis is expressed in Bhagavat Puran 10.32.22, which is quoted by Ramananda Ray in the following verse.

na pāraye 'haḿ niravadya-saḿyujāḿ
sva-sādhu-kṛtyaḿ vibudhāyuṣāpi vaḥ
yā mābhajan durjara-geha-śha-śṛńkhalāḥ
saḿvṛṛścya tad vaḥ pratiyātu sādhunā (CC 2.8.93)

I am not able (to reward you) even in a life like that of the demigods. - na pāraye aham api vibudha-āyuṣā
You who have worshipped me - vaḥ yāḥ mā abhajan
by your own holy activities, - sva kṛtyam sādhu
devoid of all deceit, - niravadya-saḿyujām
cutting off the chain of family life, that is difficult (to cut) - saḿvṛścya geha-śha-śṛńkhalāḥ tat durjara
May your own excellence (spiritual amorous love) be returned to you. - sādhunā vaḥ pratiyātu

Tika: The Bhajana (worship of the gopis) consists in their erotic love for Krișna.